Legislative elections in Bitung, Manado - Sulawesi, Indonesia

One month before the elections! Here's the scene, hundreds of posters and banners on shop-fronts and vehicles...

indonesia-oslo.no
Legislative elections for the 128 seats of the Regional Representatives Council and the 560 seats of the People's Representative Council will be held in Indonesia on 9 April 2009.
Over 60 parties registered for the elections, but only 34 originally met the eligibility requirements. However, on August 15, following a successful legal challenge, another four parties were permitted to join the contest, making 38 in total.

The schedule for the elections is laid down in General Election Commission Regulation No. 20/2008. The first phase was finalizing the list of voters. This was completed on 24 October with an announcement from the General Election Commission that a total of 170,022,239 people would be eligible to cast their ballot.
However, the commission said that this number might change as the figures from West Papua province were not yet complete. The figure of 1,609,737 overseas voters in 117 countries may also change due to the difficulties of registering voters.

The election campaign will run from 12 July 2008 to 5 April 2009 followed by a "quiet period" of three days, during which all election posters, banners and other materials must be removed from public places. The legislative will take place on 9 April, with results to be announced one month later. The new members of the Regional Representatives Council and the People's Representative Council will be sworn on 1 October.

One of the candidates for Bitung, Lembeh ;-)

OK ... enough election madness, time to head back to our little island resort. Bastianos!

Welcome to the Port of Bitung, North Sulawesi

www.best-maritime.info
Port of Bitung is located on the coast of North Sulawesi peninsula in Lembeh strait.
Add: Jl. DS. Sumolang, Bitung, Sulawesi Utara, Indonesia

Here are some shots with my Nikon D80 on a rainy afternoon, as we passed by the Port of Bitung on yet another one of our dive trips :-) on the Lembeh Straits!


Churches in the distance

Large vessels ... deep waters!

Found this online... The large Gunung Klabat volcano (2,022 m) is west of Bitung. The summit can be reached by foot in 5-6 hours, and on holidays this is a very popular destination.

As quickly as the rain came down... the skies cleared!

We visited Bitung during our Manado dive trip, Sulawesi

We took the Bastianos boat from the resort at Manado over to Bitung, approx. 15 minutes...

Lots of big ships along the way!

Arrival at Bitung ...

Wikipedia - Bitung is a city on the northern coast of the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia. It is in the province of North Sulawesi, and faces Lembeh Island and the Lembeh Strait, which is known for its colorful marine life, in particular sea slugs. Bitung has a population of more than 100,000.

Grasshopper photography at Bastianos, Manado - Sulawesi

Here are more shots with my Nikon D80 and the "kit-lens", the super-value Nikkor 18-55mm . Previous photos of my Lembeh bug-adventure can be seen here

My mates with their Canon 450D and 60mm macro-lens, and Canon G9 with Macro-converter.

Bunga raya!

Confessions of a Shopaholic (2009)

Cinema: TGV Bukit Tinggi Klang (RM$9)



imdb.com ... Struggling with her debilitating obsession with shopping and the sudden collapse of her income source, Rebecca Bloomwood unintentionally lands a job writing for a financial magazine after a drunken letter-mailing mix-up.
Ironically writing about the very consumer caution of which she herself has not abided, Rebecca's innovative comparisons and unconventional metaphors for economics grants her critical acclaim, public success, and the admiration of her supportive boss Luke. But as she draws closer to her ultimate goal of writing for renowned fashion magazine Alette, she questions her true ambitions and must determine if overcoming her "shopaholic" condition will bring her real happiness.


Directed by P.J. Hogan
Writing credits ... Tracey Jackson (screenplay) and Tim Firth (screenplay) and Kayla Alpert (screenplay), with Sophie Kinsella (Author of "Confessions of a Shopaholic" and "Shopaholic Takes Manhattan")


A strong cast of veterans and newbies, include..
Isla Fisher ... Rebecca Bloomwood
Hugh Dancy ... Luke Brandon
Joan Cusack ... Jane Bloomwood
John Goodman ... Graham Bloomwood
John Lithgow ... Edgar West
Kristin Scott Thomas ... Alette Naylor

Yes, this is the same Isla Fisher who played Shannon Reed in UK and Aussie favourite, "Home and Away". She was in that popular "soap" for a total of 11 seasons, 1994-2005!

Entertaining film, that should not simply be type-cast as a "girlie flick", there were actually some strong messages about credit card debt and the "American way".

Some cool quotes, include...

Graham Bloomwood: Your mother and I think that if the American economy can be billions in debt and still survive, so can you.

And,

Rebecca Bloomwood: When I was 7 most of my friends stopped believing in magic. That's when I first started. They were beautiful, they were happy. They didn't even need any money, they had magic cards.

How about...

Rebecca Bloomwood: You know that thing when you see someone cute and he smiles and your heart kind of goes like warm butter sliding down hot toast? Well that's what it's like when I see a store. Only it's better.

Haagen-Dazs experience - AEON Jusco Bukit Tinggi, Klang

Add: G31, Ground Floor, AEON Bukit Tinggi Shopping Centre, 1, Persiaran Batu Nilam 1/KS 6, Bandar Bukit Tinggi 2, Klang.
Located: In the AEON-Jusco Bukit Tinggi mall, at the end of the Kesas highway, Klang exit. This is not to be confused with the old Jusco mall near Bukit Raja along the federal higway. Haagen-Dazs (HD) is located on the ground floor, opposite McDonalds and Pizza Hut.

This is the Haagen-Dazs experience in Klang :-) Nice ambience, even though it is located smack in the middle of a mall, good service and excellent ice-cream!


A glass of water, unlimited refills, is then brought over with the dainty little utensils.


Next... the waitress brought across three new flavours for us to try. Nice touch!


Soon after, our "main course" arrived!
We chose a banana-split with strawberry and chocolate trimmings, with some lovely almond flakes, with Strawberry, Mango-Passion fruit and Belgian Chocolate HD ice-cream combo! Deeeeelicious ;-) to the last drop.


Ah... one more shot before digging in!


HD happens to be perhaps the most expensive "consumer" ice-cream in town, and RM$35 for the above is not cheap! We had a RM$25 voucher, but that couldn't be used with the 15% discount which was being offered on certain items, so we topped up RM$10 for the experience. I have to say it was well enjoyed though!

ps - Remember that Haagen Daz v Baskin Robbins shoot-out in Mid Valley many moons ago? :-)

Sabi-Wasabi Japanese, Bukit Tinggi in Klang

Add: 26 Lorong Batu Nilam 21A , Bandar Bukit Tinggi 2 , Klang
Tel: +603 3324 6777
Previous reviews:
First visit in July 2007
Second visit in Sept 2007

Yakiniku Ramen (Item "199" @ RM$16) - "Beef noodles" were Rather enjoyable, but perhaps the flavours weren't subtle enough. The beef was fresh though.


Karaage Toji Don (Item "216" @ RM$16) - "Fried chicken cutlet with omellete on rice" was slightly mushy rice due to the gravy, but I quite like the way it was prepared. May taste a little bland to some.


We washed it down with unlimited refills of hot green tea "Ocha", RM$1 per head. Inclusive of taxes, the bill of RM$37 was moderately priced. In Klang, I have to say I prefer Funa Zushi which is located near the Klang Istana, in the vicinity of Klang Club.

Harold and Kumar - Go To White Castle (2005)

Source: DVD (Location - unknown!)
Recommended by: JNWJ (Cheers bro ... way back in 2005/2006!)


Director: Danny Leiner
Writers: Jon Hurwitz & Hayden Schlossberg
Cast:
John Cho ... Harold Lee
Kal Penn ... Kumar Patel
Neil Patrick Harris ... Neil Patrick Harris (Yes, Doogie Howser MD!)
imdb.com ... Harold and Kumar, two stoner roommates who like to get high, end up having the cravings for White Castle burgers after seeing a TV commercial. However, getting to White Castle proves much harder than these two ever imagined. On their way, many things seemed to interrupt their journey, including a raccoon that bites Harold, Neil Patrick Harris, and Kumar getting in jail because of a racist police officer.


Great quotes a-plenty, in what I feel to be a "must-watch" film! I have had to sieve through hundreds, just to choose one example ...
Harold: I want that.
Kumar: What? A Hot Dog Heaven super chili cheese dog?
Harold: No. I want that feeling. The feeling that comes over a man when he gets exactly what he desires. I need that feeling!
Kumar: Are you saying what I think you're saying?
Harold: We gotta go to White Castle.
Kumar: YES! YES! I knew you had it in you dude!

This film left us in stitches, a laugh-a-minute, and simply mad! :-)


The music's brilliant as well, including the moment best described by a review on majorchord.blogspot.com

I've been playing this scene in my head all day. It's the driving scene where Harold and Kumar start singing Wilson Phillips. There's something subversively funny about that scene. Maybe it's because it's about these 20-something guys who for some strange reason know all the lyrics to "Hold On". Or maybe it's because I secretly know most of the lyrics as well.

I know this pain
Why do lock yourself up in these chains?
No one can change your life except for you
Don't ever let anyone step all over you
Just open your heart and your mind
Is it really fair to feel this way inside?

Chorus: Someday somebody's gonna make you want to
Turn around and say goodbye
Until then baby are you going to let them
Hold you down and make you cry
Don't you know?
Don't you know things can change
Things'll go your way
If you hold on for one more day
Can you hold on for one more day
Things'll go your way
Hold on for one more day...


ps - Harold and Kumar Part 2 to be featured... soon!

Hao Jie crab roe Steamboat, opposite Jusco Kepong

Add: Jalan Metro Perdana Barat 2, Kepong
Located: Opposite Jusco mall

Thanks to VY for the recommendation ... one of the better steamboats in Steamboat-town aka Kepong!


Communal eating ala steamboat is great fun!


VY recommended mixing some fried shallots in the chilli sauce ... it works!

Fried bits and pieces ... a good "appetiser" whilst waiting for the cauldron of steamboat to boil!

Crab roe ... so colourful! RM$79.

Crabs ... before and after! Really fresh, RM$66 per 2 kg.

ps - Hope everyone had more luck celebrating Earth Hour then we did, the propietor of the restaurant had not heard about it and even when she did ... didn't want to switch off the lights! As a small contribution, we each switched off all lights in our home, and I even had my FB-gadget and Nokia ... off!